Bearing



July 3, 1928. I 1,675,933

C. W. JOHNSON BEARING Filed April 16, 1925 lllllllll ll INVEN TOR.

Cafl W. Johnson EYS.

. plishment of "the foregoing and related ends,

Patented "July 3; 1928..

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cm w. .ronnson, or smart smears, omo, ASSIGNOR To me cnnvnrimn aaarmn monzn COMPANY, or cnnvnmn, 01110.4 coaroaa'rron or 01:10.

IBEABIN G.

Application filed .April 16, 1925. Serial No. 28,532.

. The present invention, relating, as indicated, to a bearing and method of making same, is more particularly directed to the manufacture of a composite bearing structure adapted to receive a spherical element and to journal the same against slight movements, such, 'for example, as are found in ball and socket joints and the like. One of the principal objects of the invention is the provision of a composite bearing) element of this general type, in which the earing surface may be formed of a bearing material, such, for example, as brass, bronze or the like, while the supporting element for the bearing surface may be constructed of a very much less expensive, but stronger materia, such as steel or the'like. A further object of the invention is the provision of a method and means for permanently uniting the bear- 9 ing surface to the supporting element insuch a wa that the two are permanently and securely ed together, and also in such a way that the bearing surface is intimately engaged with the supporting surface so that the strength of the supporting element is utilized to back up and support the relatively thin bearing material. A still further object ofthe invention is the provision of a composite bearing element of the general type 9, escribed in which the bearing surface of a suitable bearing material is provided either with a series of recesses containing a relatively solid lubricating materialg such for example as graphite or the like, or with such a series of-recesses which serve to collect fluid lubricant supplied either to the bearing surface or to the surface of the article which -is being journaled, and retain this lubricant to insure against failure in case of a temporary stoppage of the supply. To the accomsaidinvention, then, consists-of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claim.

,The annexed drawing and the followin description set forth in detail one metho and one type of product exemplifying my invention, such disclosed procedure and type of product constituting, however, but one of theva-rious applications of the principles of my invention;

In said annexed drawing v Fig. 1 is av transverse vertical section through they sup orting element and the bearing element s owing the same in posimethod of makin tion to be assembled in a press; Fig. 2 is a view of the finished bearing element Fig. 3 s a view corresponding to Fig. 1, but showlng means for spinning the upper rim of the supporting element over the edge of the bearmg element to lock the same in place; and Flg. 4 is a longitudinal section of same. through a device illustrating the use of a bearingelement of this type. v

For the purpose of illustration I will first refer to Fig.'. 4, which-shows the common use of a ball and socket connection. In this figure there is shown a rod lprovided with a hollow socket. 2. Mounted on the inner end of the socket member is a member 3, which is sprovided with a spherical surface 4.0n its outer side, within which is received a ball end 5 of a second rod fi. The ball is retalned in such engagement by .a second socket member 7 maintained in position by means of a spring 8 and an adjustable plug 9 threaded into the outer end of the tube 2. It will be un erstood that in the view shown I have mere illustrated one form of limited universal connection in which the spherical socket members or hearing members ma be employed.

The present invention has to do with an improved type of spherical socket member, which I have shown in Fig. 4, and the same- My method consists, briefly state in first forming a socket member with a spherical surface, and then pressing into such urface a relatively thin sheet or strip of? bearing material, and finally. locking the two members in engagement In Fig. 1 I have shown diagrammatically apparatus for performing the second operation named, the apparatus consisting of a plunger 10, base 11 provided with an opening in which is received the shaft 12 of socket member 13, this member 13 having been previously formed with a spherical surface 14 and with an upstanding rim or edge 15 surrounding the spherical surface. I now mount on the outer edge of the member 13 a relativel thin circular disk 16 of some such material as brass or bronze in such a position that when the plunger 10 is 105 depressed it will force thisdisk into spterical shape and will press the same firmly and intimately into engagement with the spherical surface 14 in the member- 13. The surface 14 may, if desired, be roughened or .1

order to provide a greater area of contact between thebearing sheet and the surface ofthis socket, and to also allow a greater intimacy of engagement between these two surfaces.

The article formed in the manner above describedv is shown in Fig. 3, and the next step inm method includes spinning or swaging t e upstanding edge 15 of the socket member down and over the upper edge 17 of the bearing strip, which may be accomplished in various ways such as I have illustrated in Fig. 3, in which a second plunger 18 is moved down about the first plunger 10 'and acts to spin or flow the edge 15 inwardly'to overlap the upper edge 17 of the bearing strip, thus producing the finished article, which is shown in Fig. 2.

The present article is not only quite inexpensive to manufacture by the method I ave described, but is also a very much better and longer lived bearingsocket member for use against steel ball ends than is a steel socket member such'as is now used.

As already indicated, the composite hearing which forms the present invention may, if desired, be provided with a series of reesses 30, which are shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and which are preliminarily formed in the disk 16 before the'same is ressed in place in the socket member 13 and is formed into the required sha e. These recesses 30 may,

if desired, be ed with a suitable lubricating composition, such as graphite or the like, or they may be left unfilled, in which case they act to collect material worn of! then serve as reservoirs of lubricant in the event of failure of a water supply.

Other forms may be employed embodying the features of my invention instead of. the one here explained, change being made in the form or construction, provided the elements stated by any of the following claim or the-e ui-valent of such stated elements be employe whether produced by my preferred method or by others embodying steps equivalent to those stated in the following claim.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention In combination with a rod having a h0llow socket and a rod having a ball receivable within said socket, of bearing members carried within said socket and adapted to engage said ball, each said bearings comprising a socket element of cylindrical form and having the face adjacent said ball spherically formed, a relatively thin sheet of bearing material mounted in said spherical recess, the socket member having integral portions adapted to engage over the edge of said sheet to hold the latter in position, and said sheet also having its spherically shaped outer surface provided with a series of lubricant-containing recesses.

Signed by'me, this 11th day of April,-

CARL W. JOHNSON. 

